Cover Story 
 

Cover Story

A Continuing Dilemma

Should Pakistan recognize Israel? The country may have good reasons to do
so but many domestic and geopolitical compulsions stand in the way.

By Sabria Chowdhury Balland | February 2021

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

- Martin Luther King Jr.

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A debate regarding Pakistan’s establishing relations with Israel has once again entered political discussion. How to establish strategic and diplomatic relations with Israel really does not pose any downsides but the other end of the spectrum regards this as an unfavourable move, ideologically and politically.

Several Arab countries have recently established diplomatic ties with Israel. The Zionist state has maintained full diplomatic relations with two of its Arab neighbours, Egypt and Jordan, after signing peace treaties in 1979 and 1994, respectively. In 2020, the Trump administration oversaw the signing of agreements between Israel and Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Sudan and Morocco. Questions are now being asked as to why, if Arab countries are moving ahead with the recognition of Israel, Pakistan and Bangladesh are not doing the same?

latuff-hrwPakistan finds itself in a complex and delicate situation. It is being pressured, apparently by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to recognize Israel while supporting the rights of Palestine. The essential question is: are diplomatic ties with a nation whilst calling out its gross human rights violations mutually exclusive?

Pakistan has always objected to the human rights violations committed by India on Kashmir. This is the most consequential bone of contention between Pakistan and India and from all expert accounts, if the two nuclear armed countries ever launched a nuclear war, it would most likely be over Kashmir. Yet, they maintain diplomatic and trade ties. Therefore, it would not be an invalid question to ask why Pakistan cannot maintain the same relationship with Israel?

The pressure exerted by some Arab countries to do exactly this is a concern, considering that since 1973, Pakistan has been receiving billions of dollars from workers in the Arab countries and this has contributed to its GDP. As a developing economy, Perhaps it would be right for Pakistan to join an alliance with them and Israel and in the process, expand its trade.That is one way of looking at it.

The other, palpable, heart wrenching facet is human rights. True, Pakistan maintains diplomatic ties with India regardless of the latter’s authoritarian policies in Kashmir. But, India and Israel present two different situations.

Pakistan and India are neighbours, both with nuclear arsenals. They share a history, language and culture that goes back over centuries. An outright freeze of diplomatic ties with India would destabilize the entire region South Asia region and could result in global disaster.

With China’s friendship, backing and massive infrastructure projects in Pakistan, does it really need to legitimize Israel at the behest of Arab countries and at the expense of Palestinian blood?

India is the tormentor of Kashmiris. Not that this makes matters any less grave but it does present a different set of problems when a country blatantly practices segregation, nothing less than the infamous apartheid in South Africa or as does Israel with the Palestinians. Palestine’s residential and farm lands are shrinking due to the illegal expansion of Israeli occupation. There are daily arrests and torture is committed on the Palestinians by Israeli forces. All this happens with the blessings of the United States, which alone gives almost $4 billion in military aid to Israel per year and $8 billion of loan guarantees. Add to this the aid from Europe and now Arab countries, for a nation carved out of Arab lands in 1948. Israel has now become a nation of prime human rights abuse.

In light of this and despite this, should Pakistan establish diplomatic ties with Israel? With China’s friendship, backing and massive infrastructure projects in Pakistan, does it really need to legitimize Israel at the behest of Arab countries and at the expense of Palestinian blood?

Israel was one of the first nations to recognize Bangladesh after its independence in 1971. However, Bangladesh has not returned the favour. Like in Pakistani passports, the Bangladeshi passport specifically states that it is valid for all countries except Israel.

Historically, the first President of Bangladesh, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was very vocal about the rights of Palestinians. Bangladesh is one of the few nations which still maintains its position as a strong proponent of Palestinian rights, regardless of any external pressure that may be exerted to change its course in the context of Israel by Arab counties.

Furthermore, Bangladesh has not forgotten that it was Israeli arms and military technology sales to Myanmar which were used against the Rohingya people of Rakhine state, creating another enormous global human rights crisis. Since 2017, more than one million Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh due to torture and persecution by the Myanmar army. The country now struggles with Rohingya refugees who are left in a limbo due to a colossal human rights crisis aided by Israel. Will the Bangladesh government, despite Israel’s dismal human rights abuses on Muslims, normalize relations with it? It is highly doubtful.

In essence, the question is: if everyone turns their backs on the Palestininas, what will become of them? And the Kashmiris? And the Rohingyas? And the Yemenis? Should human rights abuses just because a certain people are Muslims be accepted by Muslim majority countries?

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